Res Artis Meeting Tehran, Iran, November 2016

‘Roots and Routes: Challenges and Opportunities of Connectivity’ was a 5 day Res Artis meeting of artist residency representatives, artists, funding bodies and cultural workers held between 20 – 25 November 2016 in Tehran, Iran. The Res Artis meeting was facilitated by Kooshk Residency in cooperation with Mohsen Gallery.

The meeting marked a significant milestone in the 23 year history of Res Artis, as our first ever meeting in the Middle East! The concept for the meeting arose from the initiative of new Res Artis Board Member and Curator and Program Manager of Kooshk Residency, Tooraj Khamenehzadeh. It aimed to strengthen local cooperation between arts residency centres, artists and cultural institutions in Iran and the wider Middle East region, while at the same time providing an opportunity to forge international ties and collaborations.

Approximately 60 attendees from 21 countries were able to experience the local contemporary arts scene in Tehran through dedicated meeting sessions and two days of cultural excursions. In addition, international speakers presented different residency models and discussed the most pressing issues in the arts residency field today through panel sessions, lectures, roundtables and interactive workshops. Topics were diverse and included Sustainability, Funding the Field and the Importance of Local and International Networks.

A major outcome was the announcement that Res Artis will again partner with Kooshk Residency in 2017 to host a smaller more focused regional meeting to encourage greater interaction, knowledge and skill-sharing between arts residency centres in the Middle East. For most participants, this was their first journey to Iran. We hope the meeting forged important international connections and knowledge for them that will result in new partnerships and collaborations.